m
some nsoful calling oi occupation, remem
bering that the carpenter at his bench, or
the matron at her loom, is as honorable
in the sight of God and true society as any
who bear the insignia of the most esteem
ed professions.
the masonic j a u h n a l
Along the Highway of Masonry.
Among the many organizations in the
world that have been instituted among
men, there is not one in which the line of
conduct of the member is more clearly de
fined than in the Fraternity of Free and
Accepted Masons. There is none in
which the member is bound by stronger
obligations to pursue a steady course in
the discharge of his duties as such, and
to practice the precepts so prominently
Bet up to teach him the way wherein he
should walk. The highway of Masonry
is not obscns'e with devious windings, a
trail that can be followed only by carei-
full\ watching the marks left by those
who have gome that way before, but a
broad open road, through an open coun
try, which ma ■ be easily followed by any
one when once fairly started on bis mys
tic journey. At every turn and cross
load has been placed a finger post, upon
which, in language intelligible to every
weil informed Mason, he finds all needed
instructions to enable him to travel in
confidence, and in the full enjoyment of
alibis right.s .tnd privileges among his
fellow travelers
With a line of conduct so clearly de-
fined, with ot>ligatious so strong to dis
charge every known duty, and with an
open road before them so plain that none
need go astray, it might be expected that
there would be unanimity of thought and
action among all Masons in their inter
course with each other, and especially
that all would unite in preserving the
Landmarks, and in upholding the prin
ciples and teachings of Masonry. It is,
however, a fact much to be regretted that
such is not the case. Instead of being
thus united as one man, we find Masons
often divided in opir.ions and in their
course of action. If all were actuated by
an earnest desire to promote the best in
terests of the Order, such would not be
the ease, for then we would find them
acting "nore in harmony with each other.
While we believe that a very large
proportion of Masons are honest in all
that they say and do, it is evident that
some are jiot, and that they are only
seeking to promote their own individual
interests in remaining members of the
Order. They travel along in the good
company of their more worthy Brethren,
with a feigned zeal well calculated to
mislead them in regard to their true
character ; and for a time, perhaps suc
ceed in pulling the wool over their eyes
to the extent of securing for themselves
the advantage of high official positions,
which place then before the world as
recognized, honored leaders, enjoying
the full confidence of the Fraternity.
Not having the true spirit of Masonry
in them, we often find them opposed to
measures that would be of undoubted
benefit to the Craft or advocating others
that would work to its injury ; when the
one would interfere with some pet
scheme of their own, or the other gratify
the longings of a selfish ambition. They
remain obedient to Masonic law so far
as to protect themselves from charges for
un-Masonic conduct, but where there
is 110 fear of a penalty to restrain them,
they set it at defiance upon the slightest
provocation. Thns they travel on, until
their cupidity is discovered, and they
aie made to fall back to the rear, wt-ere
they generally follow in forced submis
sion until all hope of regaining their lost
position has passed away, when at the
first cross-load they desert from the
ranks, and strike out for the camp of
non-affiliates, enlist under their banner,
upon which is in.scribed one significant
word—Deserters.
There is another class of Masons, often
found upon the highway of Masonry,
who are active and officious, apparently
well-meaning, and would do what is
right if they only knew how ; but w'ho
never make an effort to gain the infor
mation to qualify themselves to act until
the very moment when action becomes
necessary. They pass the finger posts
without observing the instructions upon
them, and then halt the procession while
they discuss the question whether they
are on the right road or not.
Without the means at Land to arrive
at a conclusion, such discussions are worse
than useless, for they consume valuable
time, an-1 still do not develop the desired
information. Finally they move on, and
to thir mortification, find at last that they,
made a great mistake. One bright Mason
is worth more to a Lodge than a score of
such members.
Another class of masons, and we are
sorry to say they are exceedingly numer
ous, are no better informed than those
last described, and are this much worse
that they dont seem to care whether they
are right or wrong, they vote “hit or
miss on all questions, with a song Jroid
that would have astonished King Solomon
himself. Now we do really believe that
they desire to do do right, but are too in
dolent to make even an effort to find out
whether they are or not. Perhaps they
are not as much to blame as those who
made them Masons.
There are other cla.sses of Masons
that we might mention in this connection
but we will let them rest until some fu
ture time. We do not expect much ben
efit from an article like this, for tho.se for
whom it is designed are seldom among
those who read a Masonic journal. It is
however the duty of all good Masons to
make an effort to correct existing evils,
and we have called the attention of our
readers to a few such hoping that they
will endeavor, so far as lies in their pow
er, to aid in bringing about a reformation
among the classes we have named. By
so doing they W'ill not only benefit the
parties themselves, but add to the happi
ness of the whole Fraternity.—Masonic
Advocate,
Preserve the Landmarks.
In nothing are the beauties of Freema
sonry more apparent than the tenacity
with which its devotees adhere to the
preservation of the ancient landmarks.
It is almost with dread that every true
Mason hears the word “innovation" men
tioned, since it has done so much to in
jure the Order and give its enemies the
advantage. Freemasonry cannot be in
unison with any system that is antagon
istic to its principles ; hence, the promis
cuous banding of the sexes together un
der the delusive notion that they are
Masons, is utterly and wholly inidmissi
bleina Masonic sense. To establish a
so-called Masonic body under the system
of “Adoptive Masonry” is down right
heresy, and naturally subjects its promo
ters to the imputation of being influenced
by improper motives, for what other than
an unworthy object, could auy one have in
falsifying the character of the institution
to which he belongs; Masons can have
no feelings in common with those who
seek to make their Order subservient to
personal ends, or who give “aid and com
fort” to what are known as ‘s de degrees’
in which men and women become par
ticipants. There is no affinity, between
the real and the fictitious, any more than
there is anything tangible in what is con
trary to the principles of true Masonry.
Such bodies as the Eastern Star, Queen
of Sheba and lodges of Knights of doubt
ful existence, which have no connection
with symbolic Masonry as handed down
and practiced from the earliest ages, ace
unreal, and should receive no counten
ance from the true fraternity. It is to be
regretted, however, that some Masonic
journals argue in favor of the Institution
of "Adoptive Masonry,” and even hold
that it is in consonance with the prinoi
pies of the Order. How any Masonic
journal can do so, and still believe that
it advocates the preservation of the an
cient landmarks, surprises us not a little.
With the Constitutions of the Grand
Lodges before them, all of which in effect
declare “the ancient landmarks of the
Order are to he carefully preserved,” and
that “the Lodges must work according to
the landmarks of the Fraternity,” we
cannot see the consistency of favoring
adoptive Masonry.
Among our neighbors this androgyn
ous Masonry has made greater progress
than could have been anticipated; but
we verily believe it would not have suc
ceeded so well as it has done, if it had
been frowned down as it ought to have
been, by the united voice of the Masonic
press. There can be little doubt that
the encouragement given to the illegal
so called M.asonio bodies in the United
States, has had a great effect in strength
ening Anti-Masonry there. It is time
that the Masonic press united on the sub
ject and came out boldly in defence of
the maintenance of the principles of the
Order they profess to support. It will
not do to tamper with spurious Masoury
when it is so desirable to stamp out eve
rything in the form of a sham ; and we
feel persuaded it should he the aim and
object of all good and true Masons to
discountenance the organization of all
bodies of the character aduded to.—
Hamilton Ont. Craftsman,
“Cleanliness is Next to Godli
ness.”
It does not matter as to the source from
whence this old proverb is derived,—it
states an important truth, the force and
bearing of which apply to many depart
ments of life. Just now our thought
would direct its application to the hails
and rooms m-ade use of by the Craft, over
the entrance to some of which apartments
we could desire this motto to he conspic
uously inscribed. If there is anything
depressing and demoralizing, it is to en
ter a Lodge room where the air is close
and vile; where a heavy coating of dust
rests on seats and furniture ; where dis
colored walls and oaipet meet the eye
unpleasantly, and huge spittoons scatter
ed about the floor filled with exhausted
tobacco quids and cigar stamps add to
the general dismalneas of the situation.
Such a condition of things is both un
seemly and repulsive. It detracts from
the charm of a true Lodge ; it puts the
Institution at a disadvantage; work is
done under difficulties; lessons and senti
ments of the most exalted character fail
to produce any deep impression, for the
moral atmosphere of the place to some
extent takes on the character pf the sur
roundings, and when these matters are
not properly attended to there is always a
perceptible lack of interest and inspira
tion. If the Lodge room cannot be spa
cious or magnificent,—if its furniture and
appointments needs must be humble and
inexpensive, the place may yet he at.-
tractive by the care and neatness that
shall be discernible in all its arrange
ments, Let it at least be made clean and
wholesome as any lady’s parlor, whatev
er shall be lacking in the furniture or
equipments. Remember the proverb,
“Olea-iliness is next to Godliness,”—
Freemasons Repository,
Directory,
Grand Council of N. C.—C. M. VanOra-
dell, 0." Wilmington, M, I. G. M.; D.- W. Bain,
Raleigli, 6. Recorder.
Grand Charter op N. C.—Tlios. S
Keenan, Wilson, G. H. F., D. W. Bain, Ral
eigh, G. Sect’y,
Grand Lodge op-N. C.—Geo. W. Bloimt.
Wilson, G. Ji/., I). W. Bain, Raleigh, G, Secty.
Greensboro Counuil No. 3, R. & S. M..
Greensboro N. C,—TJios. J. Sloan, T. I M.,
S. E. Allen, Fecorder.
Time of meeting: 4tti Wednesday niglit of
each montli.
Chokazin Chapter, No. 13, Greensboro,
N. C.—Thos, J. Sloan, JligJt Priest, J. N.
Nelson, Secretary.
Time of meeting: 3rd Friday niglit of eaoli
month.
Greensboro, Lodge, 76, Greensboro, N,
C.—,S C. Dodson, W. M. J. W. Drch, Setre-
tary. Time of Regular Communication, First
Saturday in .January, Marcli, Jfay, July,
September and November, at 10 o'clock a. m.,
and on Firt Saturday in each other month at
night.
Elmwood Lodge, No. 346, Greensboro,
N. C.—.1. A. Odell, W. M., Jno. Cliamberlain,
Secretary.
Time of Regular Communications: second
Saturday night of each inontli.
Business Notices.
Patrons desiring advertisements in any par
ticular issue of this paper should liand then- in
two days previous to day of publication. *
For unique attractive and linislied Styles of
Pliotographic woi’k, apply at the Art Studio
ot L. W. Andrews
j’eas,—Wholesale and Ketatl.—J. W.
Scott A Co., have just received dii ect from thr
Importers a nice lot of Teas—^-iiaranteed good
strength and tine Davor; Not low priceci
trashy goods.
Let it not be forgotten in these dull time.-
^^lat a penny saved is two pennies made.
Detennined to “do as he would be done hj/'
Bogart keeps his goods so low that all can buy:
and as an evidence of public appreciation Ills
stock lias to be replenished weekly to meet
the demands upon it. Almost anything in the
line of Dry Goods can be found at
4^— Bogart’s.
The flattering Patronage awarded to Cham
berlain’s Jewelry emporium during the holi
days has induced him to keep his stock com
plete., and he is constantly receiving indices
of new and elegant Jewelry, Silver and Fancy
Ware, and will take great pleasure in exhibit
ing his beautiful designs to any wlio may call.
Personal attention to fine Watch-work and the
manufacture of Special Jewelry. 35-
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